Reader Response #4

In Natalie Diaz’s poem “My Brother at 3 A.M.” there are detailed descriptions of the night and the sky. It is the beginning of the fifth stanza of the poem: “The sky wasn’t black or blue but the dying green of night” (Diaz 43). Diaz uses detailed colors to describe the sky because it is not like the normal night with black and blue colors, however the “dying green” of the sky makes an unusual night. This detailed description of night creates a weird and horror atmosphere and works in concert with the “devil” in the poem. Furthermore, this unusual description also implies that the son’s mind is not in a normal state. In the next line, Diaz utilizes personification to describe the stars: “Stars had closed their eyes or sheathed their knives” (Diaz 43). The phrase “stars had closed their eyes” means that there is loss of light which well explains why there is the “dying green” of the sky. In addition, readers can imagine and feel the darkness with this personification.

Reply she left for peer:

HI Adam,

I enjoyed reading your analysis. I really like how your explain the importance of  "3 am" in this poem thoroughly and point out the effect of it. However, I was wondering if there is a connection between the author's description of the sky in the fourth stanza with the sky (at 3. A.M.). Maybe you should explain more of it in your paragraph.